In many cultures, the bear is a totemic animal associated with regeneration, protective power, and the connection to dreams. In the Basque tradition, it was regarded as a sacred ancestor.

At Amalurra, the bear symbol emerged after walking a significant part of our path and realizing that we had lost our connection with what this ancestor represents. This awakening came through a systemic ritual aimed at uncovering the missing link we, Basque people, had lost— a link that kept us disconnected from our most essential identity. The ritual revealed that this missing link was the connection with our ancestors, with the heart of Mother Earth, and with her natural rhythm.

The bear’s hibernation symbolizes a time of inward retreat and darkness, where the essential is gestated in silence. When the bear emerges from its cave, it carries with it the light it has recovered in the depths. In the bear sculpture, this light is represented by the sun it holds in its arms — a symbol of renewed clarity, awareness, vitality, and of the new spring sun. In this way, the bear invites us to make space for what is deep and to trust the wisdom that awakens when we align with the natural rhythm within us.